Outcomes of Ixazomib Treatment in Relapsed and Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Insights from Croatian Cooperative Group for Hematologic Diseases (KROHEM).

: Ixazomib, used in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (IRd), has shown efficacy in clinical trials for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). : This study evaluates the real-world effectiveness and safety of IRd in Croatian RRMM patients. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 164 RRMM patients treated with ixazomib at nine Croatian haematology centres from November 2016 to February 2023.

The Impact of Pentraxin 3 Serum Levels and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Polymorphism on Pulmonary Infiltrates and Mortality in COVID-19 Patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the pentraxin 3 (PTX3) serum level and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism on the severity of radiographic pulmonary infiltrates and the clinical outcomes of COVID-19.

Methods: The severity of COVID-19 pulmonary infiltrates was evaluated within a week of admission by analyzing chest X-rays (CXR) using the modified Brixia (MBrixa) scoring system. The insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism of the gene and the serum levels of PTX3 were determined for all patients included in the study.

Evaluation of Absolute Neutrophil, Lymphocyte and Platelet Count and Their Ratios as Predictors of Thrombotic Risk in Patients with Prefibrotic and Overt Myelofibrosis.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic contribution of absolute neutrophil (ANC), lymphocyte (ALC), platelet count and their ratios, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), to thrombotic risk in patients with prefibrotic and overt fibrotic myelofibrosis (MF).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 256 patients with prefibrotic (85 patients) and overt fibrotic MF (171 patients) treated in six Croatian hematological centers.

Results: Prefibrotic compared to overt fibrotic MF patients presented with significantly higher ALC, platelet count and PLR, and experienced longer time to thrombosis (TTT).

Characterization of the TCRβ repertoire of peripheral MR1-restricted MAIT cells in psoriasis vulgaris patients.

Psoriasis vulgaris (PV) is an inflammatory skin disease largely driven by aberrant αβT cells. Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, which constitute the largest circulating innate-like αβT cell community in human adults, are characterized by a semi-invariant TCRVα7.2 receptor and MR1-restricted affinity toward microbial metabolites.

Higher estimated plasma volume status is associated with increased thrombotic risk and impaired survival in patients with primary myelofibrosis.

Introduction: Blood plasma represents a large reservoir of cytokines and other mediators of inflammation. Higher estimated plasma volume status (ePVS) has been shown to correlate with increased thrombotic risk in polycythemia vera patients, but its clinical and prognostic associations in patients with myelofibrosis are unknown which we aim to evaluate in this study.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analysed a multicentric cohort of 238 patients with primary (PMF) and secondary myelofibrosis (SMF).

Dose-adjusted EPOCH and rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R) in older patients with high-risk aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A real-life multicenter study by the Croatian Cooperative Group for Hematologic diseases (KroHem).

Purpose: Dose-adjusted EPOCH and rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R) is a regimen used for the treatment of high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) designed to overcome resistance to standard R-CHOP by combining prolonged exposure of lymphoma cells to cytotoxic agents and dose-adjustment based on toxicity. Data on outcomes of older patients are scarce.

Patients And Methods: We collected data on patients with newly diagnosed high-risk DLBCL older than 60 years treated with DA-EPOCH-R.

Patterns of the physical, cognitive, and mental health status of older individuals in a real-life primary care setting and differences in coping styles.

Background: Physical frailty and cognitive decline are two major consequences of aging and are often in older individuals, especially in those with multimorbidity. These two disorders are known to usually coexist with each other, increasing the risk of each disorder for poor health outcomes. Mental health disorders, anxiety and depression, are common in older people with multimorbidity, in particular those with functional or sensory deficits, and frailty.

The hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score is a novel prognostic factor for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Context: The hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score is a prognostic marker in several types of malignant tumors. The prognostic value of HALP score in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains unknown.

Aim: We aimed to determine the prognostic value of baseline HALP score in DLBCL patients.

Tetraploid acute promyelocytic leukemia with double translocation t (15,17) PML/RARA: the first case report in Croatia and Europe.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by the translocation t (15;17)(q22;q21) cytogenetic abnormality in the majority of cases. In most of the cases the cells of APL have normal, diploid karyotype. There are very few cases presented with very rare tetraploid karyotype with double translocation t(15;17)(q22;q12).

Perindopril/amlodipine-induced thrombotic microangiopathy.

This is the first report on a case of perindopril/amlodipine-induced thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) syndrome. A 48-year-old female was admitted complaining of nettle rash all over the body, bloody urine, and weakness shortly after starting antihypertensive therapy with perindopril/amlodipine. Shortly thereafter, she developed pronounced hemiparesis, somnolence, and sensorimotor aphasia.

Higher serum uric acid is associated with higher risks of thrombosis and death in patients with primary myelofibrosis.

Background: Serum uric acid (SUA) can promote inflammation and is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity. Primary (PMF) and secondary myelofibrosis (SMF) are myeloproliferative neoplasms characterized by high cellular turnover and substantial risk of thrombosis and death.

Methods: We have retrospectively investigated SUA in 173 patients with myelofibrosis (125 PMF; 48 SMF) and 30 controls.

Reduced renal function strongly affects survival and thrombosis in patients with myelofibrosis.

We retrospectively investigated a cohort of 176 myelofibrosis patients (128 primary-PMF; 48 secondary-SMF) from five hematology centers. The presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was determined in addition to other clinical characteristics. CKD was present in 26.

C reactive protein to albumin ratio as prognostic marker in primary and secondary myelofibrosis.

We retrospectively investigated C reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) in a cohort of 142 patients with myelofibrosis [101 primary (PMF); 41 secondary (SMF)] and compared it to hematological and clinical parameters. Among other associations, higher CAR was significantly associated with higher grade of bone marrow fibrosis, lower frequency of mutations, presence of constitutional symptoms, massive splenomegaly, transfusion dependency, blast phase disease, lower hemoglobin, lower platelets, higher ferritin and higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ( < .05 for all analyses).

Case Report: Surgical Treatment of Two Asymptomatic Myxomas at Two Atypical Locations.

Atypical presentation of myxomas in the two cases described here arise from the fact that both patients were asymptomatic and both showed unexpected echocardiographic findings. Asymptomatic presentation is very rare, and occurs in only about 10% of individuals. Atrial myxomas discovered on incidental echocardiography is also a rare phenomenon, as seen in our cases.

Red blood cell distribution width as a simple negative prognostic factor in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a retrospective study.

Aim: To determine the prognostic value of baseline red blood cell distribution width (RDW) in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients.

Methods: Data from 81 DLBCL patients diagnosed from 2006 to 2013 at the University Hospital Center Osijek, Osijek, Croatia, were reviewed. We evaluated disease outcome, overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS), and demographic, clinical and laboratory factors affecting outcome.

Therapeutic dilemmas in the treatment of acute coronary syndrome as manifestation of essential thrombocythaemia.

Essential thrombocythemia (ET), a chronic myeloproliferative disease, is characterized by an increased number of platelets and risk of vascular thrombosis. A case of a patient treated for ET who had acute myocardial infarction (MI) and reinfarction within a month is presented. A 55-year-old male patient was hospitalized because of subacute inferolateral non-ST-segment-elevation MI, without risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.